Igniacio Pirovano (1909–1980) for Maison Comté, Buenos Aires (1932–1965)

Provenance: Presidential Military Club “Los Olivos”, 1937

This imposing cubic armchair is clearly inspired by Jean-Michel Frank’s Confortable armchair in an extra-large version

Frank and Pirovano maintained close ties of friendship since meeting at a masked ball in Paris in 1932.
Shortly thereafter, Comté began importing Frank & Chanaux furniture into Argentina.
A publishing agreement for certain Frank models, manufactured in the Comté workshops in Buenos Aires, was concluded in 1936, an activity that would continue until Comté closed.
Frank collaborated on site with Pirovano during his brief exile in Argentina from June to January 1941 and would continue to infuse the production of the Comté workshops with his spirit long after his death in New York in June 1941.
After the Second World War, Comté became one of the most prestigious decorating houses in South America, until the company ceased operations in 1963.

Bibliography:
– “The Stylemakers, Minimalism and Classic Modernism 1915–1945”, Mo Amelia Teitelbaum, Philip Wilson Publishers, London, 2010, illustrated pp. 220–221.
– “Jean Michel-Frank, a South American adventure”, Mo Amelia Teitelbaum, AAM Editions, Paris, 2025, illustrated pp. 198–199.